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Understanding Heart Disease: Risk Factors and Prevention Strategies

Heart disease remains a leading cause of mortality globally, but understanding its risk factors and prevention strategies empowers us to take proactive steps toward heart health. Key risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, smoking, and a sedentary lifestyle. However, adopting preventive measures can significantly mitigate these risks. Regular physical activity, maintaining a balanced diet low in saturated fats and sugars, managing stress effectively, avoiding tobacco use, and attending regular check-ups for early detection and management of underlying conditions are all vital components of a heart-healthy lifestyle. At Centers Healthcare, by prioritizing prevention and making informed lifestyle choices, we encourage our residents to reduce their risk of heart disease and enjoy a longer, healthier life.

To learn more about Bronx Center, visit centershealthcare.com/locations/bronx-center or call 800-305-9151

Mind-Body Connection Series

The mind-body connection plays a pivotal role in rehabilitation, emphasizing the intricate link between mental and physical well-being. Incorporating mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing and meditation, aids in managing pain, reducing stress, and fostering a positive outlook during the recovery process. By cultivating awareness of body sensations and movements, individuals can optimize rehabilitation exercises, enhancing muscle control and joint mobility. This holistic approach not only accelerates physical recovery but also promotes emotional resilience, empowering individuals to actively participate in their healing journey. In rehab, recognizing and harnessing the mind-body connection becomes a powerful tool for achieving comprehensive well-being.

To learn more about Bronx Center, visit centershealthcare.com/locations/bronx-center or call 800-305-9151

Healthy Eating for Joint Health

Maintaining joint health is crucial for overall well-being and mobility, and there is a strong connection between common health and healthy eating. Proper nutrition can significantly prevent or manage conditions that affect the joints, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Here are some key points regarding the connection between joint health and healthy eating:

With Centers Healthcare, discover a rehabilitation program centered on typical practices and every aspect of your recovery, including your healthy diet.

To learn more about Bronx Center, visit centershealthcare.com/locations/bronx-center or call 800-305-9151

4 Ways to Lower Your Bad Cholesterol Levels

It’s believed that around 94 million people over the age of 20 in the United States have a total cholesterol level over 200, and 28 million has a total number over 240.

But high cholesterol has no symptoms, raises the risk of heart disease, and most strikingly, only around half of the adults in the U.S. who could benefit from cholesterol medication actually takes it.

Aside from becoming more active, the best way to lower cholesterol is from the food that you eat. Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at four steps to take to lower your cholesterol levels.

  1. Cut Out Added Sugars

High fructose corn syrup in soda and other beverages and refined carbs in baked goods and treats can not only cause blood sugar problems and obesity, but they can also give you bad lipid numbers. A diet high in sugar causes both an increase in bad cholesterol (LDL) and a decrease in good cholesterol (HDL).

  1. Avoiding Trans Fat

Trans fat, while reduced in recent years, is still found in packaged and processed foods like boxed cookies, crackers, some baked goods, and margarine. And even if a food label says zero trans fat, there could still be trace amounts that round down to zero that can build up over time.

  1. Choose Healthy Fats Over Saturated Fats

Saturated fats—from butter, bacon, red meat, sausage, etc.—should only account for around 7% of your total fat intake for the day. Other fats should come from healthy sources like olive oil, avocado, peanut butter, other nuts, and seeds.

  1. Increase Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is the fiber that you get from foods instead of supplements or powders. Good sources are oatmeal, beans, Brussels sprouts, apples, and pears.

To learn more about Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://bronx-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

4 Ways to Lose Stubborn Belly Fat

Not all types of body fat are bad. Essential fat is called such because it’s used to protect parts of the body, such as nerves, bone marrow, and the brain. Visceral fat, however, is that technical term for belly fat, and it’s also found around major organs like the heart, liver, and pancreas, which can cause damage in those vital areas.

A good rule of thumb to see if you have too much visceral fat is if the waist circumference measures 35 inches for women and 40 inches for men.

We all know belly fat is hard to shed, but it is possible. Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing has a look at four ways to lose those inches in the midsection.

  1. Watch Simple Carbohydrate Intake

Simple, or refined, carbohydrates cause your body to spend a lot of time trying to break them down, which causes it to shirk some of its other responsibilities—namely, breaking down fat for energy instead of carbs, so watch how much white bread, white rice, white sugar, and flour you consume.

  1. Cut Back on Sugar

Sugar, including what’s broken down from alcohol, can cause inflammation in the body, which prevents it from breaking down fat as it should.

  1. Get Regular Aerobic Exercise

Aerobic exercise like jogging, cycling, swimming, and even brisk walking can help the body shed belly fat because the exercise allows the body to speed up processes like digestion and metabolism while increasing overall circulation.

  1. Don’t Cheat Your Body of Sleep

Experts say that getting seven to eight hours of sleep every night gives your body enough time to recharge and reset all of its systems, which will allow things like your metabolism to work at optimal levels. In fact, studies have shown that getting enough sleep every night can reduce belly fat by around 25%.

 

To learn more about Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://bronx-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org.

The Bronx Center for Renal Dialysis: Where you get the treatment you need and the comfort you deserve.

Located on the lower level of Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing, the Bronx Center for Renal Dialysis has been providing renal services to residents of Bronx Center and members of the community for nearly a decade. It can accommodate both stretcher and bariatric patients and features plush dialysis recliners with heat and massage.

Patients settle in, get comfortable and get to know the highly skilled, interdisciplinary team—recognized leaders in the field of renal dialysis. They meet Medical Director, Dr. Michael Guccione, board-certified nephrologist; Administrator Annette Hyde, RN, MA, APN; Nurse Manager Cherry Liz Rosero, BSN, RN; Social Worker Grisel Maisonet, LMSW, NSW-C; and Dietician Stella Yin. They’ll work together to ensure that patients receive quality care and individualized attention in a soothing, state-of-the-art setting.

Once settled in, patients discover that the team not only wants to know about their health, they want to know about their family, their interests, their life. If English is not the patient’s first language, no worries: members of the staff speak a variety of languages. And as they are open Monday through Saturday, offering four shifts, they can always accommodate a patient’s schedule.

From great activities to educational programs, there is so much more to say about Bronx Center for Renal Dialysis.

Call today to get the best dialysis care.
Tel. 718-863-8300/ Fax. 718-863-8303

The ultramodern, onsite dialysis at Bronx Center is a game changer and a life saver!

Imagine this: There are five inches of snow on the ground, and five more in the forecast. Traffic is backed up for miles, and cars are barely moving. Your appointment for dialysis is in a half hour…but you’ll have no problem making it. Because you’re at Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare, and the beautiful, spacious, state-of-the-art Bronx Center for Renal Dialysis is just an elevator ride away. Let it snow. Let it snow. Let it snow.

The Bronx Center’s multilingual, interdisciplinary renal care team—comprised of a board-certified nephrologist, registered nurses, a renal dietician and certified social workers—ensure that each resident receives the best possible care and individualized medical attention.

Along with the comprehensive, cutting-edge treatment and consummate, compassionate care, patients in the Bronx Center for Renal Dialysis enjoy soothing surroundings and special amenities. Each station features comfortable dialysis recliners with heat and massage functions, as well as personal smart TVs.

Bronx Center is elevating the quality of care for those suffering from chronic kidney disease. Keeping the body in balance and improving the lives of those they care for is their mission—and their promise. But their commitment to restoring and maintaining the health and well-being of their patients doesn’t end when they leave the Center. Improved diet, better fitness and continuing education about alternate treatment options and how to live and work with renal disease are all integral parts of the program.

So the weather outside might be frightful, but inside the Bronx Center for Renal Dialysis life is good—warm, safe and cozy.

Contact us today to learn more

Phone 718.863.8300

Fax: 718.863.8303

Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing with 7 Foods That Could Lower Dementia Risk

According to the World Health Organization, 50 million people worldwide suffer from some form of dementia, and that number is expected to grow by 10 million over the next decade. Out of that figure, some 60 to 70 percent have Alzheimer’s disease, which has no known cure.

Because there is no cure, it’s important to try and do everything we can to lower our risk. One key part of that lies in the foods that we eat. 

One recent study that was published in the American Academy of Neurology’s medical journal, Neurology, looked at a group of foods rich in antioxidant flavonols. The study found that people who had diets rich in foods containing antioxidant flavonols (mainly fruits, vegetables, and tea) could be less likely to develop Alzheimer’s as they age.

The study pointed out seven foods (and drinks) that contained three compounds found in flavonols that have been shown to lower the risk of dementia. Isorhamnetin and myricetin decrease the risk by 38 percent each, while kaempferol cuts the risk by 51 percent. 

Bronx Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation have seven foods that are high in these three componds.

 

 

In addition, studies have shown that the so-called Mediterranean diet – rich in fruits, vegetables, olive oil, fish and grains – could also lower the risk of dementia. Foods to focus on here include brightly colored or dark-skinned fruits and vegetables, two to three servings of cold-water fish (like salmon) per week, beans and legumes for protein, extra virgin olive oil, whole greens, and small amounts of red wine and red meat.

To learn more about Bronx for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://bronx-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org/.

Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing on Different Types of Face Masks

We’re all having to become experts on face masks during this coronavirus threat, and it’s now a law for New Yorkers to do so when in public places like stores and on mass transit until further notice. 

All the experts agree: some sort of face covering is better than none. But what are the options and which are more effective than others?

Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing is here to sort out the confusion over face masks.

N95

These masks should really just be reserved for medical personnel who are providing emergency care for the sick enough to have to be on a ventilator or in the ICU. This mask is the most effective, as it blocks 95 percent of small particles, which is why it should be reserved for those taking the most risk of exposure. It should be noted that if you’re wearing one of these masks and have facial hair, you will not get a proper fit.

Medical

These are standard masks that most healthcare workers are wearing. Again, these are prioritized for those in the medical field, so if you have a large supply, you may want to consider donating them. You can also choose to wear them out into the public, as they filter between 60 and 80 percent of particles. These should be disposed of after one use.

Homemade

Cotton fabric is a good material to use if you are making your own mask. They will not be as effective as a medical grade one, but as long as you’re maintaining some distance from people, these masks will help. Cotton is good because it’s thick enough to stop particles and you can breathe easily enough through it. 

Homemade With Filter

If you want to get more complex, you can sew in a pocket to your homemade mask to add an extra layer of protection. A piece of a coffee filter or even a paper towel are good extra barriers that remain breathable. 

To learn more about Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://bronx-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org/. 

Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing With 4 Types of Therapy to Help With Stroke Recovery

Unfortunately, nearly 800,000 people in the United States suffer a stroke every year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and 140,000 of those victims die.
For the majority of those who survive a stroke, a variety of physical, emotional, and mental challenges await on the road to recovery.
The experienced rehab team at Bronx Center for Rehabilitation and Nursing deals with people recovering from strokes on a daily basis. We would like to share four types of therapy that help stroke victims recover and, many times, return home to lead a semblance of their normal life.

Physical Therapy
Very often, strokes weaken or paralyzed limbs. Physical therapy – exercises, the use of braces, and other technology to help regain movement and strength – begins nearly right away. That’s because most physical recovery from a stroke takes place within the first few weeks after the event, and improvements often continue for up to four months.

Occupational Therapy
The loss of physical movements can affect the ability of the stroke victim to perform once-routine tasks like eating and bathing. Occupational therapy helps patients work on restoring those physical functions as well as the introduction of assistive devices for ADL (activities of daily living) to help stroke survivors regain as much independence as possible.

Speech Therapy
Around one-third of stroke survivors end up having difficulty with speech, which is a condition known as aphasia. Speech therapists work on helping victims regain speech (which normally occurs within two to three months after the stroke) or learn different ways to communicate, including sign language, electronic devices, and symbol boards.

Emotional Therapy
Besides having to deal with the impacts of potential physical and speech issues, emotional or personality changes like forgetfulness, irritability, anxiety, and anger are common in stroke victims, along with moderate to extreme fatigue. Emotional support therapists and groups help victims and family members cope with these changes and manage them the best they can.

To learn more about Bronx for Rehabilitation and Nursing and all of the services they offer, visit http://bronx-center.facilities.centershealthcare.org/.